The past 5 months with our new family member have been both very challenging and very rewarding. Along the way to becoming a very loving and loyal friend for Grace, Dante has experienced some very important 'firsts'.
Dante's first bath: A picture says a thousand words!
Dante's first visit to the vet: Dr Geoff from Bent St Veterinary Surgery Gympie has very generously sponsored Dante by providing all of his veterinary needs. Dante was very brave having his vaccinations and is always excited to visit the surgery, even when he went in for desexing!
Dante's first training session: On 13th December 2013, 16-week-old Dante, Grace and I met with Kate Butterworth from
Animal Education for our first training session. Basic commands- sit, down, heel, walking up and down stairs, and getting in and out of the car were the focus. Dante did very well. He is a very clever boy.
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| First training session - 13 Dec 2013 |
Since then we've had another 2 training sessions with Kate. Dante has learnt to heel nicely and will now 'go to Grace' and 'go with Grace'. He has beautiful mealtime manners, sitting and waiting patiently for his food, and always goes to the toilet outside.
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| Session 2 - Walking with Grace |
At his last session, Dante started learning to never walk in front of a vehicle, a very important lesson for an Assistance Dog who will be responsible for a young girl who often is too distracted or emotional to be aware of danger. One more lesson at Kate's and then we'll be off to the Centro carpark for some 'real-life' practice.
Dante's first Christmas: Dante didn't really know what all the excitement was about but he was very happy to join in. Grace had fun creating some funny photos with her new Christmas app.
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Do you think I make a good Christmas elf?
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Dante's first clip: Dante has a gorgeous poodle coat just like his mum. It's soft and curly and doesn't shed. But with our hot summer weather we thought it was a good time for Dante's first clip. In January we took him off to All Cuts Dog Grooming who gave us a special price for our very handsome boy's first haircut.
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| Looking cool and more like his poodle mum |
Our lives have changed so much since Dante joined our family. Grace has a loyal, accepting friend who loves her unconditionally, gives cuddles and kisses on demand, and is happy just to sit by her side and be a comforting presence. What a special boy!
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| Helping Grace with her maths |
